Bent by the Powers
by Daniele-Marx
Summary: BtVSAngel xover What would have happened if Glory had succeeded in killing all of the Scoobies but Buffy and Dawn?
1. BbtP: Chapter 1

Bent by the Powers (CHAPTER 1 REVISED! It can only get better!)  
by Daniele-Marx  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own BtVS or Angel, but the plot is from my own brain, and I just revised Chapter One. There is little difference, but it should sate any large questions you may have, but feedback would be nice. thank you.  
~.Marx.~  
  
Storyline: What would have happened if Glory had succeeded in killing all of the Scoobies but Buffy and Dawn?  
  
~~~~  
  
Cordelia stopped typing as she heard someone knock on the office door. Yesterday, Angel had begun brooding, and now Cordelia was starting to really worry for her once boss. He told everyone to basically leave him alone and they promised they would be back later. Fred hadn't appeared out of her room just yet, but he was sure he could get her to work with him soon. Gunn and Wesley had said they would be back later that night, but until then, it was just Angel and Cordelia occupying any office space today.  
  
Cordelia stood and walked over to the entrance, opening the door. A gasp left her throat as she saw Buffy Summers standing there. The slayer was wearing the usual black coat and attire, but she was covered mostly with dirt as if she were a soul survivor of a war. Her eyes were distant and empty, devoid of thought or emotion as if she hadn't had a peaceful moment in days. Cordelia looked over to see if Angel had seen any of this, but opted not to call for him just yet. What was she thinking?! Of course it was terribly important! Cordelia steadied the voice in her head and took a swallow to recuperate. "Buffy, what's wrong?" Buffy grabbed someone's arm from behind her in the entrance, revealing Dawn and pulling her into the Hotel. Dawn was very unstable, but holding herself back like Buffy was. Cordelia was wondering why Dawn was wearing a tattered midieval gown, but turned her attention back to the slayer. She led the two into the office. "Buffy?" Buffy didn't answer and Cordelia shut the door. "What happened?" The next words were barely a whisper as if they were covered with a blanket of denial and pain.  
  
"I need to speak with Angel." Buffy's voice cracked as if she had been malnourished. Angel had been sitting in his office with the door closed and Cordelia wasn't sure if he was wanting company.  
  
"Why? What happened?" Cordelia watched as Buffy turned around, her eyes reddened as if trying not to cry. Buffy's face contorted and she forced it away futily.  
  
"Everyone is dead, Cordelia."  
  
"Dead? What do you mean, dead?" Cordelia was confused. Angel's ears perked up from his office. Buffy felt herself beginning to breathe a bit harder as tears began to threaten her composure.  
  
"I mean they're dead." she panted at almost hyperventilating point. "Xander, Willow, Giles, everyone. Glory, she--" She fought to stay standing and put her hand up against the wall to steady herself; she held her stomach as if she were going to empty her stomach from anguish but seemed to hold herself back. Angel was out in the main room in no time, staring at Buffy. He was both surprised and horrified by her appearance, noticing an obvious limp in her usual style and grace, the way her eyes worked like a panic button, not seeing anything but fear and pain. It worried him greatly. Cordelia felt tears rise to her eyes, and she wiped them away lightly. "I couldn't save them..." Suddenly she broke down and, braced against the wall, leaned down to steady her breathing. Angel walked over to her and put his hand on her back, rubbing it soothingly. She let out a gasp of pain and he hesitated, lessening the pressure on her back.  
  
"Glorificus?" Angel tried to hold his feelings at bay, but he knew it was not helping.  
  
"She was too strong." The pain was evident in Buffy, and he looked at Cordelia. His mind strained as he heard her declare her weakness. Buffy began to force her breathing down and she stood up straight. Angel looked at Dawn, expressing his deepest regrets because he wasn't there to help. Dawn seemed a bit nervous since she wasn't expressing any emotion whatsoever; he guessed that she was scared of Buffy's reaction and was probably wondering why she didn't react the same.  
  
"Take care of Dawn." He led Buffy into the office, and shut the door. It was darker in there because of the shades he drew and he took her into his arms, holding her; she responded and hugged him, feeling a sob escape her throat and all feeling leave her.  
  
They stood like that for minutes.  
  
Angel stroked her hair and felt her tense body slightly calm down. As soon as she did manage to do so, her body tensed up twice as fast as her breath caught. He knew Buffy's reaction to his rubbing her back was not something that could be overlooked in case Glorificus had managed to harm her greatly. Something was wrong. He needed to hear what happened. Parting her, he sat her down on the couch as he sat as well. She sat slowly back as if she were having some sort of chest pains, and she hoped he had enough reason to let her physical pain pass, but knew she was just literally holding her breath. "Tell me what happened." Buffy felt the tears start to stream down her face, and she sobbed as he held her close to him.  
  
"...She held onto me as she sent her minions on them. They had this power that not even Willow could match, especially when she and Tara worked together." A sob escaped her and she forced herself to continue but not cease her tears. "First went Anya, then Xander, Tara, Giles, Willow, and even Spike got beheaded but not before freeing Dawn..." Buffy felt a new wave of pain hit her chest, and she clenched her fists.  
  
"Why Dawn."  
  
"They got along. He didn't treat her like the rest of us had, like a child. She's the Key Glory wants so she can open the portals of all the dimensions. I wouldn't let her take my little sister away from me. But even though she's not my sister, her blood is mine, and we share the same memories. But Glory was planning to use Dawn's blood to keep the portal open..."  
  
"And you stopped it?" Buffy felt the tears begin to dry and she wiped them from her eyes.  
  
"She didn't get to perform the ceremony because we were pretty fast and furious. Giles had said that she wouldn't have the will to fight back if we stopped the ritual, but she didn't stop coming after us..." Buffy began to cry softly, but brought her hand up to stifle her tears. Angel reached out to the endtable and grabbed a hankerchief, giving it to her and pulling her into him. "Dawn could have died and it would have been all my fault because she was sent to me for protection..." Angel hesitated. "I should have fought harder, I should have tried harder. Now Willow's gone, Xander...Giles..." A pause. "...Death is my gift afterall..." Angel hesitated once again. Her tears resurfaced.  
  
"Death is your gift...Who told you that." He stared at the opposite wall in his office, stroking her hair and listening to her as she wept.  
  
"The first Slayer when I went to get answers in the desert...'Death is your gift' she said, but I didn't understand...I failed everyone by letting them die. I should've done something!" Buffy wasn't holding back the sobs anymore, and Angel held her to his chest. "I should've done something..." Angel felt remorse for not being there in the first place. Then something dawned on him.  
  
"What about Riley?"  
  
"He left a few weeks ago to work in South America for the Initiative." Angel felt angry at Riley suddenly for leaving like that, but knew something bad would have had to happen sooner or later; he didn't even like Riley, but settled for it anyway. "When Faith came back she somehow used magic to switch bodies with me..." Angel hadn't heard this before, and seemed intrigued suddenly by her words. "She used my body to get intimate with Riley, and he fell for it, thinking it was me. He didn't see anything wrong and couldn't tell the difference between us...it hurt so bad when he looked at me when I told him." Buffy seemed to get more upset about the whole ordeal as she thought about it, so Angel decided to change the subject. He knew he would have been able to tell her from Faith because he knew Buffy and knew what Faith had been capable of. She knew that, too, thus he didn't have to bring it to her attention, though it might have helped.  
  
"Where is Glorificus?"  
  
"I don't know. If she followed us, I don't know what will happen. I don't know if her minions would ransack mom's house for information on where I would be, but if she did, she might just be headed in this direction. I imagine she wouldn't think of that, but anything is possible."  
  
"What were you planning to do."  
  
"I wanted to find someone who would be willing to help me fight better. I need to train more, to beat her once and for all. I can't fight her like she is. Giles said it was possible, but she could only be beaten if she took her previous form, a guy named Ben. I'd have to weaken her so he could take over, then I'd have to kill him."  
  
"That doesn't seem so hard." Buffy felt her anguish return, and she felt Angel touch her forehead. She wanted to get away. The pain in her back was fading with every moment she spend with Angel, but she knew she would have to heal with or without him. His arm protectively around her, she felt at peace, and that was something to start out with. She had remembered a name Giles had used once to describe the choosing of the Chosen One, and that had been, "The Powers That Be..."  
  
"What?"  
  
"The Powers That Be, what are they..." A pause.  
  
"They are everything. They control our fate." Buffy remembered something about the conversation she had with her Watcher about the Powers That Be, and it was that they made things happen that would bring an overall reaction to a certain situation. One example he used was that there were currently two Vampire Slayers: Buffy and Faith. Buffy felt an urge to react out of anger back then, but she had learned to accept some of the things they had talked about.  
  
"Do they make the impossible happen? Can they let things like this happen?"  
  
"...Yes." Angel listened to her breathing, and she paused. "I should have been there, I'm sorry...I was sort of stuck in an alternate dimension saving cows..." Buffy looked up at him oddly. Angel...saving...cows...? She didn't want to know...He looked down at her and she let a smile slip past her blank stare. She almost threw her reason out of the window as she looked up to meet those beautiful eyes, and their lips met gently. It felt as if their sorrows were being left behind, and Angel held her closer as she leaned further into him. It was a comfort, being in each other's arms, and they parted reluctantly. She flinched very slightly, and he looked at her as she blinked her eyes as if in physical pain. "You're hurt." Buffy felt nervous as Angel said this, and he touched her left set of ribs, thinking that Glory broke one. They seemed bruised in the front, but they would heal fast. "What happened..." He pressed in two ribs on the right side of her back at once, and her mouth flew open from horror, her voice failing her as her face went beet red. Tears streamed down her face as his hands left her and held her on the other side. No immediate reaction. Her pain came from her ribs, in which one appeared to be broken while another seemed to be cracked.  
  
"What did she do to you. Show me." Buffy looked into his eyes, and he touched her back, making her wince and close her eyes tensely.  
  
"There." She went to lean forward but Angel stopped her, holding onto her shoulders to prove his point.  
  
"Don't do that. You'll end up hurting yourself more. Your back is hurt as well? Is it sore?" Buffy suddenly looked paler, and she shook her head no. She attempted to remove her coat, holding her breath so she could do so; she gave up when she couldn't hold back the obvious pain, and Angel held her more gently. He helped her lean forward very slightly to assist her with her coat, moving the jacket downwards and off her back and his eyes widening.  
  
"It feels worse." she said as a sob passed through her throat.  
  
"What do you remember?" He ran his hand very gently over a wound that was about five inches in diameter, and her shirt had been torn where the wound had been made. Her torn shirt had covered a bloody stain on her back; it was mostly dried already. The wound was right behind her heart, and he felt a mixture of fear and pain as he grazed his hand over the wound as lightly as he could. She winced and then shuddered.  
  
"When she was holding me down, I felt my back ripping open; it felt as if she did it with her own hand..."  
  
"We have to remove your shirt, the blood's already dried it to your skin. It's right behind your heart. She was trying to kill you."  
  
"She told me she would do that. I didn't think she would do it, though. She didn't screw up my brain, at least."  
  
"We should probably get you somewhere that can help, you might need surgery."  
  
"I don't want to go to the hospital. I heal fast."  
  
"I have a feeling that you can't heal this alone. I'm surprised you got here at all."  
  
"Nothing was going to keep me from getting here...Not when I felt I needed you most." Angel brought up his hand to push some hair from her eyes.  
  
"I should've been there. I am sorry."  
  
"Please don't...The Powers let this happen, didn't they? Maybe they were trying to tell me something by letting a God kill the first friends I ever had..." Tears streamed down her face as she said this, but she didn't acknowledge them.  
  
"I'll take care of you." Angel raised her chin to look into her green eyes.  
  
"I need to train more..." Buffy felt her heart ache for her friends, a stitch of pain bursting through her back as she thought of Glory and what she did to end their lives. "I failed..."  
  
"If you keep thinking thoughts like that, this will never get over and done with. We will train as soon as you are better. You helped me when I needed you, and I will be there when you need me." Buffy began to acknowledge the tears falling down her face, and Angel wiped them away, kissing her gently on the lips. The two turned their attention as Cordelia stood while Dawn seemed to panic. Cordelia began to stumble towards the desk. "A vision. Stay here." Angel got up and Buffy got up despite his words and the pain as he exited the room and followed. Cordelia was grabbing for some paper and a pencil, describing what she knew.  
  
//"Tell the Slayer that I'm looking for her. I will offer a reward for her live body! The one who comes through for me will get to live! I'll keep killing until I get Buffy, Mark my words!" Glory grabbed a demon from the bar, and drained his brain, laughing as she felt the energy enter her. She was still in Sunnydale.\\  
  
"Buffy! It's for you..." Buffy had stopped following Angel at the office door, where she clung to the doorknob for desperate support. Her vision began to distort and she unsteadily began to lean forward to try to keep her balance, but her grip, though strong, failed. She lowered to her knees while holding her stomach and then she felt suddenly tired. Angel looked at the note, then Dawn noticed Buffy's back as she leaned forward on her knees. Buffy began to breathe a bit heavily as she felt the pain in her muscles increase until she blacked out. Angel approached her and knelt down next to her, noticing the blank and empty stare and knowing that she was just taking a sabbatical from pain. It resembled being in shock, where your body takes away the pain for a total turnover of your muscle movement; it was also very peaceful.  
  
"Buffy!" Dawn said; she seemed very pale then, and she sat down, her eyes not leaving Buffy's wound. Cordelia went over to Dawn and got her attention.  
  
"It's okay, Dawn, we're here and we're going to take care of you."  
  
"Both of you." said Angel, who lifted Buffy into his arms. "Don't worry. She'll be okay."  
  
"Are you going to be okay?" Dawn looked as if she were going to bawl, and Buffy slowly came out of the trance-like state as if she had finally soaked up what was actually happening; her eyes slid shut as she realized what she just read meant. There would be raids on Angel's part if they found out where she was. She didn't reveal any of her thoughts, though, as she forced herself to look at her sister. Dawn looked frustrated suddenly as she remembered who did this to her sister, and made up her mind about something very vital. Friend or no friend, no one, not even Ben had a chance to repent for his demonic counterpart.  
  
"Kill Ben, just kill him. I don't care anymore. He let it all happen. He had become a coward because of what he did, and now I only have a sister left."  
  
"I will." The sun began to set and Buffy blinked as she saw the darkness, realizing something very harsh very quickly. While she drove Dawn down here she made sure Dawn rested, while she herself had not rested since the morning before, which was, when she had rested, four hours tops. She tried not to let it go noticed that she was tired. "I need to work on something, a plan, something..."  
  
"You need to rest for now. You should after that long journey down here. Cordy, do you think Dawn can stay with you for the night?" Cordelia nodded. "Thanks. I'm going to try to fix her up." He lifted Buffy very carefully into his arms, trying to avoid the wound on her back and her ribs as he watched Cordelia lead Dawn out of the office to get back to her apartment. Cordelia glanced back to see them and led Dawn away, trying to start decent conversation but not knowing if she was going to get any kind of response. When they were out of earshot of the closed office door, Buffy groaned, and Angel kissed her forehead. "Just sleep, I'll protect you, I promise..."  
  
How?...Buffy thought as she drifted into an uneasy rest.  
  
~~~~  
  
A/N: It would be a big help if someone could tell me who everyone was during the last Glory episode (in "Angel") and what they're like so I don't screw anything up. No, I'm not trying to be lazy, but there are just too many characters and I'm just learning, too slowly for comfort. I would be very grateful for the pleasantries. Thank You! 


	2. BbtP: Chapter 2

Bent by the Powers  
by Daniele-Marx  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own BtVS or Angel, but the plot is from my own brain, and forgive me, I don't know anything about the show Angel, but I am slowly learning the ways. There will be updates should my assumptions be incorrect.  
P.S.= This story should take place somewhere after Fred comes into the picture and before the next season of Angel. Buffy didn't die, but it couldn't've taken that long for her to speed into the next season of Angel as well. Thank you.  
~.Marx.~  
  
Storyline: What would have happened if Glory had succeeded in killing all of the Scoobies but Buffy and Dawn?  
  
~~~~  
Cordelia tucked Dawn into her bed after a shower and a little talk of what happened, and Dawn noticed the light shut off on its own. She felt nervous until Cordelia explained Dennis, her ghost of the apartment. Dawn then felt something touch her cheek, and she drifted off. Cordelia felt tears rise to her eyes as she thought of Xander, proud Xander as he fought off Glory's Minions with the same bravery as she remembered from him. She never realized his love until it was gone, but she tried very hard to move on. It seemed to be her curse. A hand touched her back, an invisible one, and she cried as he sat next to her, listening to her.  
  
~~~~  
  
//"Let me go!" Buffy shouted, feeling Glory force her hands behind her back as she lay face down on the broken concrete. She wondered why Glory hadn't sucked her brains out yet, and Glory lifted her by her hair to look ahead of her. The minions had Giles by the arms, and they threw him onto a sharp spike coming from one of the walls, killing him instantly. Buffy cried out in pain as Glory reached into the skin of her back, breaking it and grabbing for something. The Goddess was pulled off by Spike before he was beheaded and dusted, and Buffy got up, denying the pain and looking around. Everyone was dead. Dawn grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the scene...\\  
  
Angel looked at her coat as he put it aside, and he glared at the soaked red part of her jacket. He looked hard at Buffy's back as she lay stomach down on his bed. It wasn't healthier to lie like that, but it was the only way. He would have to remove her shirt as best he could, and discard it because it was no longer a good memory for one, nor was it an off-white color. The hard part would be removing the shirt from the wound so he could bandage her up. When he lightly lifted the shirt up, she shuddered, and began to cringe, trying to roll over. He stopped her by messaging her lower back. Glorificus did a job on her. Angel knew he needed help, and he walked over to the phone, dialing a number.  
  
Minutes later, Buffy opened her eyes, and felt the tears begin again. There was a stinging sensation in her back, and she found herself sleeping on her stomach. When she tried to move, a jab of pain raced through her back muscles, and the same happened when she breathed. Angel was sitting next to her, dabbing her back. Buffy tensed up as he hit a nerve, and she couldn't move.  
  
"Probably the worst physical wound yet, right?" he said. She breathed in as the pain ensued, and nodded, looking up at him while moving her neck and denying the pain again. "Just relax, Buffy, this is going to hurt."  
  
"Does it look as bad as it feels?" Her muscles tensed once she spoke, and he touched her neck, soothing it so she would lay back down. "I'm going to need a lot of training after this."  
  
"Yes. But for now try not to move. The material is beginning to soften so I can take it off without causing you anymore pain." Only then did she realize that not only was she wearing nothing over her upper body, but also someone else was in the room. She looked past Angel to see Wesley walking upto the bed with supplies to help her back.  
  
"Gunn went to check up on Fred and won't be down for a while. I spoke with Cordelia on the phone when I got here. She left a note to call her. I had no idea Dawn was here as well. I heard something about Glorificus, who has been terrorizing Sunnydale for a while. I don't have that much information about her, though. I might have to contact some old friends for the information." Wesley looked at Buffy's back and noticed something odd. "I don't understand why she isn't healing faster now that I notice it. Slayers always have had the power to fight off illnesses." Buffy tried to calm herself down, but her muscles began to spasm on her back, which forced her to tense up even more. Angel's hands touched her shoulders gently, and began messaging them.  
  
"Why couldn't I save them?" she asked him as her breathing began to return to normal.  
  
"I don't know..." He was thinking about blaming the Powers, and it would have worked, but she would have to find a way to fight them herself. Fight them and Glory.  
  
Buffy tensed up despite Angel's very soothing touch.  
  
"Lay still, it's going to hurt more if you move around." He began to work a kink out of her neck, and she calmed herself once again. He wasn't about to tell her that he wasn't letting her out of bed until she healed up. Buffy exhaled, and Wesley sat on the other side of her, checking her back. At this point she didn't care to argue with the point that she was naked from the waist up, and internally, she really could have cared less. Wesley looked at her soaking back, and lifted the washcloth that Angel had put over her wound. The shirt raised with the cloth, not yet ready to come off, and Buffy felt something tear at her back, making her back move upwards from the pain and with it every single muscle in her body following. Wesley put the cloth down gently when he received a glare from Angel, who was still working on her relaxation.  
  
"Could you go tell Gunn that there's a God on the loose called GLorificus? We're going to need to research her in case she does come here. I'll be up in a while."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Thank you." Wesley left the room, and something dawned on Buffy, making her tense up once again to the point of getting up. Angel held her down.  
  
"You didn't tell him about Dawn, did you?"  
  
"He has changed for the better, Buffy. I promise he won't do anything."  
  
"I don't know what I would do if I lost her." Angel understood her, and stopped his ministrations, taking care to hear her words and understand them as he always had.  
  
"You should probably try to get more sleep. I'll take care of you." She nodded very slightly, and he kept messaging her shoulders until he heard her gentle breathing once more, his hands slipping down to the washcloth, checking it in case it needed to be resoaked. He very carefully parted the material of her torn shirt from the washcloth and resoaked it, placing it back on the remains of her shirt. Sooner or later the wound would have to let go, and he wasn't going anywhere until it did. The Powers would have some explaining to do, though.  
  
//Anya watched as two of Glory's minions started swinging at Xander with a large metal pipe, and she lost control, sending herself into the mass. One of them saw her and struck her fatally with the pipe, and she fell to the ground, lifeless and dead. Xander paused, and fury enraged him as he tackled one of the minions, then felt a hard object, more and likely the pipe, strike him in the same manner as Anya had been hit; he too fell to the ground, dead.  
  
Tara and Willow stuck together, throwing blows and hexes everywhere to hold off the enormous crowd, but they failed. Glory struck Tara from afar with a large brick to the head, and she knocked into Willow, who was building up her anger and fear. She threw a curse at Glory, and the Goddess ricochetted it off of her hand and threw it back at Willow, killing her instantly.  
  
Giles watched as Spike freed Dawn, and watched as Buffy got tackled by Glory from behind and forced to look upwards toward Giles. He didn't understand until three minions grabbed his arms and body, pulling him back until he felt a sharp spike pierce his back. Spike pulled Glory back off of Buffy, and saw her bloody hand and Buffy's back. Spike distracted the Goddess, and Buffy got up, denying herself any immediate pain. "No, Spike!" Glory threw a large metal disc at the vampire, and beheaded him. Buffy looked around mournfully and Dawn ran to her and dragged her out. There wasn't anyone alive, but the Slayer and the Key were gone.\\  
  
Buffy woke up abruptly, feeling herself shedding tears unnoticeably. A sob wracked her throat, and she let everything come together. The pain in her back intensified as she strained to breathe, but she clenched the bed sheets tightly. She groaned as she bit her tongue, and felt like itching the pain in her back, but she knew she was healing that way. All she knew was that Glory somehow put a large hole into her back and tried to squeeze her heart out of her body; she imagined there was a big hole where her spine (insert sarcasm) used to be. Overhearing a conversation between Angel and Wesley, she calmed down unwillingly. The smell of the sheets under her had the essence of Angel, and she concentrated on his image with closed eyelids as she had when she was training with Giles; it seemed to work so long as the image never faded.  
  
"We have to take her to the doctor, Angel. She needs major medical attention. Her spine has been damaged and I am guessing that her her body reacting like this is because she's the Slayer."  
  
"She said she didn't want to go to the hospital." said Angel reluctantly. The image of her relaxation began to wither as she heard this and it forced her to think, while her training taught her to not just think, but to think and then forget. Her mind strayed and she let herself be compliant with what options there were.  
  
Forget what I said, Angel...she thought. Angel looked over to her as if had read her thoughts.  
  
"Two ribs, Angel, two! One is practically floating around in her stomach, disconnected almost totally from her spine and the other is cracked almost beyond all repairs. Glorificus has disabled Buffy! She needs medical attention now!" Angel had agreed, knowing Buffy would have to accept it as he had. She heard his footsteps approach her and braced herself.  
  
"We're taking you to the hospital."  
  
"What time is it..." Buffy felt him very slowly and gently sit her up so she could lean against his shoulder. She realized her face was covered with sweat, but she paid no mind to it as he held her. She wished she could remain in his arms forever. She winced as she felt a reason not to at the moment and reclaimed her attention.  
  
"Three a.m. Wesley is going to put a light shirt over your back, okay?" Buffy nodded, but winced as she felt her back pain stitch at her. Angel looked upwards and cursed the Powers before Wesley came up behind her with a shirt, trying not to glance at her appearance. Buffy watched as Angel glanced slightly down, and she didn't really care if anyone saw her bare chest at this point. Wesley helped her put her shirt on, and Angel buttoned it up for her, trying to keep the back from sticking to her wound as he lifted her up into his arms again as he did before. The Powers would owe both of them this time, he thought, walking up and out of his home. He felt a wave of remorse sweep over him and Buffy saw it.  
  
"What's wrong?" she asked, pushing the pain away from her mind. Giles had always told her that pain was only 10% of the actual wound; the rest was just psychological. Angel looked down at her and didn't answer right away.  
  
"It's nothing. There are more important things to tend to at the present. Just try to get some more rest before we get there. I won't let anything happen." Buffy stifled a yawn and blinked slowly. She then nodded off again.  
  
~~~~  
  
Morning came, and Dawn woke up, rested. She got out of bed, and noticed that Cordelia had left her some clothing for her. Dawn had worn a large tee shirt of Cordelia's, and they discarded the dress she had been forced to wear. Putting on the outfit, she walked out into the livingroom, watching her newfound friend making breakfast. Whatever it was, it didn't smell too good, but she would rather be nice than pessimistic. At least she was getting breakfast.  
  
"Good Morning, Dawn. Have some bacon and eggs." Cordelia was very nice to her all through breakfast, and Dawn wondered why she and Buffy never got along. "After this did you want to go see Buffy? Wesley and Angel took her to the hospital this morning to fix her up."  
  
"What happened?" Dawn felt stupid asking this since she had spent three hours with her sister in the car driving down. Three hours of silence and she didn't even know Buffy was even injured.  
  
"Apparently Buffy got hurt by that God you guys were fighting."  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"Two of her ribs got practically disconnected from her spine."  
  
"I can't believe I didn't know she was hurt while we ran from Glory. She never even flinched or said 'ow' or anything."  
  
"Buffy has a way of hiding her emotions and pain until the last moment. We were all surprised with her reactions, but now she's in the hospital getting worked on, and we're all back on caffine once again."  
  
"I hope she's going to be okay..."  
  
"I know she will be, Dawn. Maybe you should try to eat something before we go."  
  
"I'm not hungry."  
  
"Maybe that's a good thing. I don't cook very well." Cordelia smiled, then giggled. "Angel doesn't have any taste buds and he thinks my coffee tastes like sludge!" Dawn smiled, and then tried to laugh, but she stopped herself before anything came out all funny like.  
  
"She's my only living relative besides dad...What's going to happen to me if she doesn't make it?" she paused, realizing one thing. "Glory will win."  
  
"Uh-uh, no, no, miss negative, we're not ruling victory out for us yet. We'll make it." Cordelia smiled genuinely, and took a bite of her eggs, chewing on them slowly before forcing herself to swallow. "Forgot the salt again..." Dawn laughed finally, and took a bite of the bacon, which was burnt but not too bad.  
  
"Who likes all that fat anyway? You can make decent bacon. Okay, I want to go see Buffy."  
  
"Me too, lets go." They discarded the food and said bye to Dennis before walking out the door.  
  
~~~~  
  
Angel sat inside the hospital room next to Buffy. She was going to go in for surgery, and they said they could fix her, but were pressing on how she got injured. He evaded those questions very deftly for her, and when they said only family were allowed into her room, he said he was her boyfriend and that her sister was her only family left, and they let him slide. She was already under with drugs, and she just lay there on her side that wasn't injured, which was facing the door.  
  
He just sat there, holding her hand gently. She could be fixed, like some sort of doll whose arm just popped off. He knew it would be difficult for her until she got out, then she would have to make up every second she rested for. He knew if he said they were brother and sister or something that they would ask for him to donate blood, but he scoffed at the idea.  
  
Even though Buffy didn't acknowledge it, he knew what she was thinking when he read the note Cordelia had dictated. She wasn't sure if staying with Angle Investigations was the wisest thing to do considering Glorificus was now out for her blood. Giles had been wrong in assuming that the God's will would be broken once the ritual failed, and now there was no stopping her if she found out where she was hiding. He as well didn't want to bring it to anyone's attention.  
  
Dawn was her only living (or rather, loving) relative, and their dad, well, they didn't contact him for the fear of him getting involved. He didn't even care to show up to Joyce's funeral. Angel watched as they cleared him out into the waiting room and Dawn arrived just as they took her in. She looked at Angel, who was sitting in the shade of the waiting room, his hands clamped together at his face as his elbows rested on his knees. Gunn was sitting next to Cordelia and they were basically staring at Angel and Dawn. It was Wesley who explained the situation and what they were doing, and then they all tensely down. Dawn sat down next to Angel, and she looked at him carefully. He glanced at her.  
  
"You really love her, don't you." He nodded without needing to think. "Do you think she'll be okay?"  
  
"She's strong."  
  
"Yeah. If you believe she'll be alright, why are you looking scared?"  
  
"Because I know some people who could make something go wrong, really wrong, and so far, they haven't been very giving when it came to letting people live."  
  
"The Powers That Be?" Angel looked at Dawn, sort of surprised. "Buffy told me about them. They supposedly control every aspect of our lives, which doesn't make me want to root for the team..." Angel felt her pain.  
  
"They've taken a lot from me too." He felt Dawn unravel his hand and hold it tight. "But I still know what's right and what's wrong. It dosen't take much to fight for the good of the innocent."  
  
"Yeah, save those who have no idea what's going on. Sounds about right. But are the Powers That Be good guys or bad guys?" Angel didn't answer, and they waited.  
  
The nurses came and went, one appeared holding forms for Dawn to fill out, and they did so to the best of their knowledge. A male nurse came up to them, explaining the process they were performing on Buffy. They were going to basically superglue her ribs back together and make small metal 'beams' to keep them balanced for her healing process; it would take a long while until they would be removed, but later Wesley translated that two years for the Slayer would be one year, just cut everything in half basically. The only problem they had was Glory because she was not the waiting type. They could probably hide for that long, but Buffy could not be left alone in that case; Angel would help her train, and Dawn would stick around and try to stay underwraps until Buffy felt two hundred percent better. Buffy and Dawn were going to stay with them, no questions or exceptions; Angel seemed very pleased with the thought.  
  
Hours passed, and they were approached by the same doctor, who announced their success. Angel tried very hard to remain indifferent, but he was almost overcome with joy but made a mental note to visit the Powers. He hugged Dawn and they went to see Buffy in the recovery room. They followed the nurse and saw Buffy lying on her good side once again.  
  
"Her back wound will heal, we have some perscriptions for her to take daily, and her ribs will be fine. We would, however, like to know what happened to her, uh..."  
  
"Angel."  
  
"Yes...Angel. If you would explain?"  
  
"She was attacked."  
  
"What could possibly be horrible enough to cause that much damage?"  
  
"A bear."  
  
"Preposterous. A bear would have left claw marks, and I don't think a bear wears strawberry red nailpolish..." The doctor held up a small vial of water, which had a red fingernail at the bottom of it. He looked at Angel, who glared at him suddenly.  
  
"Do you think you could handle the truth?" Angel's eyes flashed gold for a millisecond. The man lost his voice, then swallowed, very nervous. "Say it was a bear attack, and don't make it too detailed." The doctor nodded shakily and left, leaving them quite relieved. Angel turned to them.  
  
"If Glorificus reaches L.A. we'll have to hide out. As much as I'd love to snuff her out right now, I'm only one."  
  
~~~~ 


	3. BbtP: Chapter 3

Bent by the Powers: Chapter 3  
by Daniele_Marx  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own BtVS or Angel, but the plot is from my own brain, and forgive me, I don't know anything about the show Angel, but I am slowly learning the ways. There will be updates should my assumptions be incorrect. Thank you.  
~.Marx.~  
  
Storyline: What would have happened if Glory had succeeded in killing all of the Scoobies but Buffy and Dawn?  
  
P.S.=AFTER THIS CHAPTER, "BENT BY THE POWERS" WILL BE LISTED UNDER THE "ANGEL" CATEGORY BY CAUSE OF OBVIOUS REASONS. THANK YOU.  
  
~~~~  
  
"Where are they!" Glory demanded from her minions. They smiled reassuredly at her. She had been assumed to give up should her plan fail, but she had only been given more power to play with. She could feel Ben inside her, weak as ever. It wasn't a pretty feeling.  
  
"Your loveliness, they must have left after you defeated them." The woman suddenly smiled, and looked at her nails.  
  
"I didn't defeat them because she's still alive! And I don't have a portal here!" Glory ground out her distaste in the thought and made claws with her hands, facing them towards herself as she glared murderously at her palms.  
  
"Revenge is yours, your grace. They fled from your power and now you have the opportunity to destroy them once and for all." Glory took a seat on her couch, examining her hands. One of her nails had been chipped off to the skin and she ground out her frustration and clenched her fists, feeling the emptiness of her missing nail.  
  
"I can't believe I broke a nail. That Slayer is going to pay, mark my words. She will pay." Her minions began to give her a manicure, and she sat back. "Invincible, huh Slayer? I could make you bleed. I would have had your heart in my grasp if it weren't for that vampire. Go to her house and see where she is hiding, and give me any information you can find." And Ben will not get his body back until I get what I want, which is revenge exactly, she thought, relaxing herself to regroup her strength.  
  
~~~~  
  
When Buffy came to, she saw Angel sitting in front of her and Dawn right next to him, resting on the side of the bed. He hadn't slept she noticed, dazed. The operation was apparently successful, and she was feeling the morphine still, which felt great, but there was something wrong about this. Usually when she got injured, she wouldn't feel the pain as much the next morning, but she was under the influence of morphine, and with it, anything could be misinterpreted as peaceful when it wasn't. She knew she would feel pain should she even move a muscle, so she lie there without doing anything harsh.  
  
"Feeling better?" He touched her hand with his, and they exchanged glances. She nodded.  
  
"Just feeling a little defeated, but I have time, I hope." It had been a while since they had been able to be together, and now that they were, it seemed almost worse since they knew they shouldn't be together. It was like they knew it was wrong, but how could something so wrong feel so safe?  
  
"We don't think she figured out you and Dawn were in L.A., and if she did, they would have, I imagine, a hard time pinpointing your location."  
  
"She'll be shopping a lot, very expensive places. Cordelia should watch herself. If she got into my persoanl stuff, though, that could lead them anywhere." Buffy thought about Dawn's journals, and knew that they were burnt to a crisp, and she wrote about everything. She thought about her own journal, but they weren't all too specific about where Angel was, but L.A. seemed like a good piece of evidence to start out with. Glory might send her minions to her house, and if they rummaged through her stuff, they would be led to look through her private things, which was dangerous enough as it stood.  
  
"Cordy loves to shop, but she's cut it down a bit." Angel touched her cheek. Buffy drew her attention to her past lover, and he caught her worry before she could shield it from him. "What's bothering you?"  
  
"There's evidence in my house that could lead her here to L.A. and I don't feel confident enough that she won't find where we're hiding. I mean, I probably shouldn't have even come here if I knew this would happen. I shouldn't have brought this onto you. She could kill everyone and I wouldn't be strong enough to fight her..." Angel looked into her eyes at first, not saying anything. He felt sorry for her situation, but he had never turned down an opportunity to help her yet and he would be damned if he let her walk out with the intention of just running. He wasn't worried about her not being strong enough, but he was worried that she would try to blame herself fully, which wasn't to be done in the first place.  
  
"Don't." he said sternly. Buffy shut her eyes, holding back the urge to cry. They were easier to hold back if she only looked at him. "Whatever happens will happen. Even if she stormed through that door right now I wouldn't let her come near you. You did the right thing by coming here; you know I would never let anything bad happen to you so long as I am near. We've got a strong team here. Wesley has already gone to all of the books about Gods and he even went so far as to contact the Council. He did some threatening and things are getting done."  
  
"Wesley is your boss now?" Angel smiled as she seemed to snap out of her thoughts.  
  
"Yeah; he's not too bad when it comes to organization. Considering I'm over two-hundred years old that's something to be proud of. I was always a loner when it came down to it. When we began to expand, I found I couldn't be the right guy for the job, and I'm okay with it." Buffy felt guilt then. Man, she thought. I hope this doesn't keep up. I don't think I can take it.  
  
"I want everyone to be safe, Angel."  
  
"We'll take the hits as they come, Buffy. Don't worry about it until you're healed."  
  
"Only one thing feels safe, though, and he along with his entire team can die because of one action made by me. It isn't supposed to be fair, but it isn't supposed to be a massacre. I've seen too much happen. Things go wrong and I can't stop them, deaths, chaos, everything..."  
  
"It'll be easier to live together if we put the past behind us..." Buffy nodded, and then hesitated. She smiled, and he smiled in return. "But for the record it's my turn to make you stronger." They intertwined their fingers together and just stared at one another. "They're talking about your recovery time; it'll be awhile."  
  
"But I should be healed soon."  
  
"Wesley and I were concerned about your previous state. You weren't healing right. Even your slayer skills were limited unless you got some rest after the wounds were made."  
  
"I know what you mean. The feeling is still here but it should have been gone by now. The problem was that I wasn't trying to relax or even let Dawn drive on the way down. I tried very hard to stay awake and alert in case she followed us and didn't think Dawn could handle the situation."  
  
"Adrenaline can do that, but we're glad you didn't hurt yourself more." Angel brought his hand up and stroked her cheek. "You're going to pull through this and then we're going to help you with Glorificus."  
  
"Thank you, Angel."  
  
~~~~  
  
Buffy spent one more day in the hospital, and after the prescriptions were handed over in Angel's care, she was allowed to leave. Dawn was to stay with Cordelia underwraps, and Buffy was going to stay at the Hyperion.  
  
"Take care of Dawn, Cordy, and be careful."  
  
"We're practically neighbors, Buffy." They had left ten minutes earlier, then the two finally got up and began to leave. Angel supported Buffy mostly, careful not to hurt her, and she was content to let him help her. They began walking towards the elevator. She had been roomed on the third floor, but they didn't think of the chance to take the stairs; it wasn't an option.  
  
"Lets get you home..." Home, Buffy thought as Angel pressed the down button. He held her in his arms and she sighed, leaning into him. This felt like home, but their views of home were different on three different levels. One was his on going back to the Hyperion Hotel, one was hers as she thought of the home she claimed in his arms, and the other was hers as well, where home was Sunnydale, where there was death and destruction and chaos. He interrupted her thoughts and the door opened. "I was worried." He carefully guided her into the empty elevator and pushed the button for the main level. The doors slid shut. There was no shock or surprise at the sight or absence of a reflection on his part against the elevator wall. She leaned into his chest, and closed her eyes.  
  
"I know. Thank you, for taking me to the hospital when I didn't think I needed one." He stood while supporting her weight and she leaned into him. Home...Maybe home was wherever he was, or where her friends were now, or maybe even in the darkness of Sunnydale where she fought the undead for years, but she knew one thing for sure: Home was a thought or place where you felt safe and secure. As soon as you come home from a hard day's work, the feeling of security takes over and you feel safe and everything will be okay. Angel was home right now, and Buffy didn't argue anymore. She had stopped arguing a long time ago.  
  
"It would have taken longer if you hadn't been the Slayer." Buffy didn't know what she was expecting when the door pinged and she tensed; maybe it was the anxiousness of Glory being in there, waiting for her with an iron fist. Angel held her, comforting her as best he could; he knew what she was afraid of: Glory being somewhere near when she wasn't strong enough to fight. Buffy Summers the Vampire Slayer was one of many demon fighters; her name would be in the books with the Council, but as soon as she died, another would come. Another Slayer would come to save the world; not Buffy Summers. The door chimed, and slid open, revealing the lobby. The sun had begun to set, and they walked out the rear entrance to the parking lot. They began walking to his car, and she realized something. "I don't think I'm going to be driving my evidence anytime soon. Do you know where I can hide it?"  
  
"Your car? What kind of condition is it in?"  
  
"Fair. I don't want anything where Glory or her minions can find it."  
  
"We'll find a place for it."  
  
"Someplace far from here." Angel nodded, not questioning her because she wouldn't be driving it anytime soon. When they found his car he opened the passenger door for her and helping her lower into the seat. A slight hiss escaped her and formed a frown of pain to sweep across her features. When she finally was situated on the seat she buckled her seatbelt before Angel shut the door and went to get in himself. When she saw him sit down next to her and start the car.  
  
"Well, I know I'm not going anywhere, so the only thing I'll be doing is helping with the research."  
  
"We'll see, Buffy. Lets not push it right away." Angel stopped at a red light after awhile. They looked at one another, surprised somewhat that they were still at some kind of peace just being around one another. There was no rush to be closer as soon as they realized neither of them were going anywhere, and they met halfway, their lips touching in a gentle brush. The light turned green rather quickly, and they didn't move until someone honked at them from behind. They parted and he stepped on the gas pedal rather harshly, causing Buffy to fall back against the seat; he slowed down and turned left at the next intersection. She looked out the mirror to see a car turning behind them. She forced the pain down as she slid down into the seat. Angel looked over quickly as if wondering if he hurt her, but then saw her attention on the side view mirror. He looked back and saw the probable tail behind them.  
  
"Did I hurt you?" She held her breath, trying to remain down despite her stretched back; her eyes were still on the car behind them as she lowered herself even more into the seat. "Buffy--"  
  
"I'll live." He let up on the gas pedal and turned left at the next intersection; the car followed. He sped up to get to the next crossing, and turned right. Pulling into a dark alley, he shut off his lights, and waited for the car to pass; they weren't disappointed. The car moved right past them, not looking through any of the hiding places that had been concealed by the darkness and lack of lighting. "Have any enemies in these parts?"  
  
"A bunch of lawyers, but these guys are probably from the local hideouts looking for information. They're waiting for something interesting to turn up. They probably don't know who you are."  
  
"All the better. What now?" she said. Her voice was thick with trying to conceal her actual feelings.  
  
"Wait until they get out of sight, then maybe hunt them down later. But for now, we need to get you to my place. They're gone." Buffy sat up, and looked around. Angel backed out of the alley, and saw the car following them appear at the same corner they turned at. "Down." Buffy did as told, and he touched her shoulder gently. "Tell me when it hurts."  
  
"These aren't demons who are looking for information." she said quietly. They must have been some sort of bounty hunters if they tried again. Anyone suspicious would be followed until one of the parties won.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"But Lawyers seem to be worse? I've never had to deal with them." Angel began to drive away from the driveway, slowly at first.  
  
"You can't drive a stake through their heart."  
  
"Didn't know they had them." She sucked in a breath. "Don't worry about me. Try to lose them. I'll get in the way surely."  
  
"Get down on the floor and hide yourself." She unbuckled her restraints, then lowered herself to the floor of the car, and faced the back of the plymouth, looking up at Angel.  
  
"Don't let them get off easy for my benefit, okay?" He didn't want to hurt her, but knew she was strong enough to take a few jolts and pushes when pain took a hold of her.  
  
"For your warning, I drive recklessly when being followed." Buffy nodded, and then gripped the seat; he sped up, letting the other car follow him.  
  
~~~~  
  
Wesley was waiting in Cordelia's apartment, impatient and nervous. It wasn't that long a drive from the hospital, and he knew the two wouldn't stop to get intimate if they valued their lives. They should've called, at least. He hoped they were okay, but knew better. Dawn was finally asleep; she had been crying for about ten minutes on Cordy's shoulder before drifting into a restless, nightmarish slumber. It was painful to watch her suffer as she had, her being the one whom a God was killing to get to. He knew if something happened to her Buffy would have nothing but Angel.  
  
She and Angel yearned for each other, and one would compare their needs between the needs of a storm and its wind: one cannot function without the other properly, but it will if it has to. The two had a connection like no other; her slayer senses knew when he was near, and when he fed off of her he received some of those powers, but their connection was stronger than that yet. He tried to think of something that could explain their feelings, but his mind drew a blank. The phone rang, and he went to answer it rather quickly.  
  
"Angel?"  
  
"Wesley, we just got back. We were followed, but I lost them."  
  
"How's Buffy?"  
  
"She took a few hits, but she'll be okay."  
  
"Good. I estimate about a month's rest for her, then start on training."  
  
"We'll see."  
  
"Her determination should be at an all time high?"  
  
"Lets discuss this later, okay, Wes?"  
  
"Sure. See you in the morning Angel. We have some information to discuss with you."  
  
"Take care." The two hung up, and Wesley went to speak with Cordelia. He was going to check up on Dawn one more time before leaving for the Hyperion. He and Gunn had found some information in the books concerning Glorificus, and wanted to ask Buffy about it and what she knew of the God. The Council were not so compliant on certain matters, seemingly upset about something Buffy did. It seemed that she had gone and took matters into her own hands, listing off demands and getting them because she was the slayer, not their puppet. Good for you, Buffy, Wesley thought. That's the way to move them about. It made him happier than anything to know that she stood up to those idiots across the sea, and he anticipated that she would want to move on as quickly as possible, but one thing remained: Could they take out a God?  
  
~~~~  
A/N: Thank you those who reviewed. I would still be stuck on day one if I hadn't had the information and support of you guys. 


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